We’re used to all-in-one machines using
traditional rear-mounted kickstands, so the Asus ET2300 came as something of a
surprise. It's built using a solid base, and its stand has two hinges, so it's
able to tilt from a traditional standing position to a horizontal base and any
position in between.
The
Asus is steady on its base, and its 11.6kg weight keeps it firmly anchored to
the desk
That makes the Asus, along with the Sony,
this month's most versatile machine that can be used at a desk when standing
up, and at every position in between. The extremely flexible stand comes with
great design and build quality: the 11.6kg system is well anchored to the desk,
there's no hint of give when pulling the screen to and fro, and the base is
made from attractive brushed aluminum.
The ET2300's excellent ergonomic design is
partnered with good credentials elsewhere. The high-quality keyboard and mouse
offer great quality, with the former having comfortable keys and the latter
proving light and responsive.
The
ET2300's excellent ergonomic design is partnered with good credentials
elsewhere.
The speakers impress too: this is the only
system in this month's test to include a subwoofer, and the 3W unit provides
rumbling bass that none of the ET2300's rivals can deliver. If we were being
picky we'd say that the loud audio setup overpowers the slightly tinny
mid-range, but no other system here gives movies as much punch.
The ET2300's impressive design and
versatility is paired with this group's best screen. The IPS panel served up a
maximum brightness of 245cd/m2, which delivers high-quality images, and colors
toe the line between vivacity and oversaturation – the average Delta E of 3.7
is superb. The 907:1 contrast ratio makes for a great range of colors, and
black tones aren't crushed together.
It’s
possible to push the ET2300’s screen all the way back until it’s lying flat, or
at any angle in between
The $1,320 budget might include this
month's best screen, but it hasn't stretched to high- end components. The
3.3GHz Core i3-3220 processor comes with only two Hyper-Threaded cores, doesn't
have Turbo Boost, and it's saddled with Intel's weaker HD Graphics 2500
integrated core. The chip scored a middling 0.72 in our benchmarks, and the GPU
wheezed to just 13fps in our Medium-quality Crysis test. It's not enough
to play top-end games but, like most of this month's machines, it has no issues
when running Windows 8 or HD media.
The rest of the specification is a little
sparse too: there's a DVD writer rather than a Blu-ray player, and there's no
sign of a TV tuner. The 802.11n Wi-Fi is single-band, and 4GB of RAM is half as
much as some of this month's other contenders.
The
ET2300 impresses elsewhere too, with a design that pairs ergonomic excellence
with great build quality and style.
The Asus isn't the fastest or the
best-specified, then, but it's still got enough power to cope with any of its
intended uses – Windows 8 scrolls fluidly under the finger, Modern UI apps and
games run well, and the integrated GPU has enough power for HD media.
The ET2300 impresses elsewhere too, with a
design that pairs ergonomic excellence with great build quality and style. It's
easy to use and it's great value for money – that’s why it's our favorite
Windows 8 touch-screen PC.
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Details
§
Price: $1,320
§
Website: www.asus.com
§
Ratings: 9/10
§
Screen size: 23.0in
§
RAM capacity: 4GB
§
CPU nominal frequency: 3.3GHz
§
Hard disk: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12
§
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
§
eSATA ports: 1
§ OS
family: Windows 8
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